Sawyer
by Wonderland820
Summary: Sawyer is a slightly unorthodox Slowking who likes to travel, seek knowledge, and if at all possible do it alone. But no one can account for all variables and he finds himself obligated to travel with a trainer and his unwelcome  female companion.
1. Rule 1

A/N - Been a while since I posted anything, but I'm gonna make this short. Firstly, I still have writers block for my other story, The Republic, for those of you who recognize me after all this time. Tough luck. Secondly, _'these are character's thoughts, private or otherwise.'_ That is all.

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><p>Rule 1: When traveling alone, be aware of your surroundings. A little precaution goes a long way.<p>

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><p>The sand was hot under his feet and the sun beat down on him from above, but there was a cool breeze blowing in from the sea which made the heat bearable. As he walked, the elevation along the coast line rose, the soft sands were replaced by rock, and those gentle breezes grew into violent gusts. The Slowking had happened upon this island after a three day attempt to catch up to Kyogre which had ended in complete failure. He kept climbing higher till finally he looked towards the sea and smiled. He was on a high cliff which meant he could take part in one of his favorite hobbies and forget about the three days he'd spent in a futile effort to catch a legend.<p>

Entering the waters at high speeds from a high place always gave him a sort of mental high. The adrenaline would speed up his thoughts as he fell at an ever increasing velocity giving him the impression that time was slowing down. None of the other Slowkings he'd met were too keen on the idea and most were bewildered that he was willing to dive from a cliff several stories above sea level. To them it was lunacy. _'Better than sitting in one spot day after day...' _he thought to himself.

Reaching out his senses, he scanned the area below and found the water to be relatively calm and of suitable depth for a dive. The Slowking stretched his arms and legs to limber up his muscles for the dive. He could have just cushioned the impact of the water with his psychic abilities, but that would take the fun out of it (some of the others had just about fainted when he told them that).

Looking out at the sea, he took several deep breaths. Right before he took the plunge however, a trainer popped out of the tropical vegetation behind him, released a Crobat, and ordered it to use Mean Look. Shocked that he'd forgotten to watch his back, the Slowking turned around. The trainer pulled out a handheld device and pointed it at him. A distinct, mechanical voice buzzed to life and said, _"Slowking, the royal pokemon and the evolved form of Slowpoke. It has intelligence that can match that of a human's and always remains calm and collected during stressful situations."_

'_Wonderful,'_ he thought, _'I was so focused on my dive I forgot to watch out for troublesome trainers.'_ Annoyed and frustrated, the Crobat's Mean Look was keeping him from fleeing into the ocean. Resigning himself to the fact he would have to either defeat the trainer or stall until the Mean Look wore off, he cleared his head and studied his opponent. The trainer had blond hair which curled out from under a faded blue baseball cap. He wore a green jacket with blue jeans. _'Utterly unremarkable...' _the Slowking thought, ' That aside, _he's experienced and confident, but not to the point of being arrogant,'_ the Slowking focused his senses on the trainer's thoughts, _'And he wants me to make the first move. I guess I should oblige.'_ Giving a slight smirk, he opened his mouth and yawned.

This confused the trainer. _'Is he really not taking me seriously?'_ he heard go through the trainer's mind, _'He's either strong enough to be worth this, or stupid enough to-' _The Slowking got the feeling his thoughts weren't secure. There might have been another pokemon or even a human in the area capable of hearing others' thoughts so the Slowking was forced to put up his defenses. Raising mental barriers required him to tune out the trainer's thoughts. He had never been proficient enough at multitasking to both shield himself and read the minds of others at the same time.

"Crobat! Use Wing Attack!" the trainer yelled. As the Crobat swept down toward him with almost blinding speed, he took a short step to the left and watched as the Crobat plowed into the ground. The trainer looked at the Crobat and then back to the Slowking with his mouth wide open. His Crobat was asleep. Realizing what had just happened, the trainer returned the Crobat and stared intently.

'_I guess my little show of superiority is going to cost me,'_ the Slowking thought. The trainer seemed more determined than ever to bring him into his party. After a few moments of considering his options, he sent out a Skarmory and warned it to be careful. Sighing, the Slowking decided he might as well try and talk his way out of the situation. _'If I shock him enough, I might be able to stall until the Mean Look wears off.'_

"Do we really have to do this now?" The Slowking asked out loud, "I was in the middle of something when you arrived and I'd like to get back to it."

The trainer's jaw dropped again after which he said, "That isn't telepathy..."

The Slowking cursed his rotten luck. _'He's surprised, but not surprised enough.' _"No, it isn't Telepathy. I've been around humans enough to learn to speak their language," he explained, "Didn't your device mention something about that earlier?" _'Maybe I can distract him by changing the subject...'_

The trainer remembered the pokedex and answered, "It said you had an intellect that could match a human's, but..."

"...But it said nothing about me being able to speak?" he finished for him. "Honestly, you humans are too trusting of technology. It may be your race's astounding achievement in that it puts you at the top of the food chain, but there's something to be said for understanding that even you have limits." The Skarmory suddenly got restless and the trainer looked behind his shoulder as if he was worried the trees behind him held some kind of hidden danger. '_Well that was certainly strange,"_ he thought, _'but I guess it means I wasn't imagining that other presence.'_

After the trainer decided the Slowking and his Skarmory were the only other beings in the vicinity, he took a few moments to think about what the Slowking had said. Finally, he laughed which caught the Slowking off guard. "You almost had me there for a second. Shock me with your ability speak and then distract me with a discussion of human nature all the while you're waiting for Mean Look to wear off. That was the plan, wasn't it?"

The Slowking's eyes went wide. The trainer had seen right through his ruse. "That was the plan... I take it my chances of escaping this battle just dropped dramatically," he replied quietly.

"That would be accurate. I made sure when me and Crobat were training that Mean Look's effects lasted as long as they possibly could which turns out to be about an hour." The Slowking calmed his mind again in an attempt to analyze his best chance of getting out of a situation he'd just made worse. It hadn't even been five minutes since his Crobat used Mean Look. "I have to admit though," the trainer continued, "if Skarmory hadn't gotten upset I might have sat there and talked to you for the rest of the hour."

Realizing he had no choice but to try and knock out the rest of the trainer's team, he began to devise a strategy. "I don't suppose you want to sit down and finish off the hour talking?" _'He knows about Yawn now so it probably won't work again. I'll have to wear his team out one at a time.' _

"The way I see it, we can talk all you want after your check up with Nurse Joy," the trainer replied. The Slowking chuckled at this comment despite the circumstances, but wasn't about to give up his freedom without a fight. Using water gun, he pushed his Skarmory off balance. This gave him enough time to use Aqua Ring which would help with some of the inevitable damage he was about to take.

"Skarmory! Steel Wing!" the trainer shouted. The Skarmory launched high into the air and swooped down in the same style the Crobat had done before. The Slowking managed to take the entire attack and stop all of its momentum. Grabbing onto it, he lifted the Skarmory up with the assist of Psychic and slammed it against the ground rendering it unconscious. The Aqua Ring began the slow process of healing the damage he had just taken, but he could feel that he was already pretty badly injured.

"That Steel Wing seemed awfully familiar," he chided, "Maybe you should add some variety to your strategy." The trainer was unfazed by the Slowking's comments and returned his Skarmory, replacing him with a Riolu. "Well that's certainly a different strategy, but is it smart to send out a child?" He started to use Water Gun, but was caught off guard by the Riolu's speed. It's Force Palm connected and sent a tingling sensation through his body which emanated from the point of contact. It was in the same spot where the Steel Wing had connected so he winced in pain. Reacting to the best of his abilities, the Slowking scored a direct hit with a Water Pulse. The Riolu was sent flying backward and didn't get up afterward.

"You knocked out Riolu in one hit. You're the first who's managed to do that," the trainer said as he returned his partner to its pokeball, "you're impressing me more with each passing moment."

"Enough that you'll give this up and let me finish my dive?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Sorry, but not quite."

_'This is getting desperate,' _the Slowking thought, _'I can nullify the effects of the paralysis for the time being, but I won't be able to shield myself from attacks or increase my strength anymore.'_

The trainer sent out his next pokemon, "Frosslass is my last chance to catch you. She won't lose."

The Slowking managed a smile and replied, "You might just be right." He looked at the Frosslass and shivered a little as she gave him a playful wink. "Was that Attract?"

The trainer laughed and replied, "Maybe. I wanted to win fairly, but she doesn't always listen to what I say."

"Wonderful," he muttered more to himself than to anyone else. The Frosslass flew at him with as much speed as the others had, but having the timing down already, he sidestepped out of her way. The Frosslass dove into the ground, reappeared behind him, and wrapped her arms around him in an unnecessarily intimate embrace.

Grabbing her, the Slowking attempted to release himself, but she just wrapped around him tighter and started to tear at his mental barriers. Slowly her voice seeped into his head, '_Just think. Pretty soon I'll be able to hold you like this all the time.'_ The Slowking opened his mouth to speak, but froze as she began filling his head with her thoughts. She flashed tempting images of the two of them together under the care of her trainer through his mind. They'd fight side by side supporting one another, protecting each other... just like before...

'_It would be so much easier to just give in,'_ she reasoned, _'To let him capture you... To stay with me...'_ Her voice was tantalizingly soft and reminded him of the sound of far away bells..._ 'You could share your thoughts and experiences with me... just like you did with her-'_

He finally snapped out of it and became overwhelmed with anger. "Get out!" he shouted as he separated her thoughts from his. He yelled and pushed back against her mind. _'How dare you try and manipulate me!'_ he screamed into her head, _'Even more enraging is that you had the audacity to look into my memories!'_ Continuing he forced feelings of guilt and regret that had been in the back of her mind to surface. _'What gives you the right!'_

Breaking past all of her hasty put up defenses, he forced a barrage of some of his darker memories that he usually kept buried deep into her mind. With a sharp gasp, she fainted, releasing her grip, and fell to the ground. He looked at the trainer who was confused as to what had just happened. He was about to say something, but the mental energy the Slowking had expended was too great. He collapsed, unable to hold up his paralyzed body any longer and blacked out, unable to hear the trainer's shouts...

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><p>When he awoke, he felt a warm glow on his skin. It was soothing and he almost fell back asleep. Refusing to let that happen, he took in his surroundings and realized he was in a bed. Turning his head, he saw a Nurse- <em>'probably named Joy like all the others'<em> - in a white outfit with a pink apron studying a monitor which seemed to be displaying his vitals. Her hair was a darker shade of red than the usual Nurse Joy and she might have been shorter, but other than that she fit the stereotype. He tried to sit up and groaned from an ache in his side before lying back down again. This alerted the nurse that he was awake. "Try not to move," she said with a warm smile, "You need to conserve your energy."

"Where are my injuries?" he asked out loud without thinking. The nurse started to answer and then gave him a borderline terrified expresion. _'If I had a nickel for every time I saw that reaction,'_ he thought. "Yes I can talk. Move past it and tell me my injuries."

"Uh, you hurt your ribs and uh- how can you talk!" the nurse exclaimed.

"I just can. What else?" He was getting irritated which probably wasn't good for his recovery.

"Lots of bruising and you were fatigued when you came in and are you really talking?" He rolled his eyes and focused his mind on the ribs. One of his ribs was cracked and another had come dangerously close to puncturing an internal organ. Grunting as he set it back into place with psychic, he used Recover to speed up the slow process of mending his broken bones. It was much faster than letting them heal by themselves, but he had to be careful not to add extra strain to his body by doing it wrong. After working the process into his subconscious, he dulled the pain receptors in the area and sat up.

The nurse began to protest, but he ignored her. "The trainer who brought me here," the Slowking said with irritation in his voice, "where is he?"

"He's- sniff -he's in the waiting room..." she was on the verge of breaking down, "You shouldn't... errr..." her voice trailed off as tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.

He mentally slapped himself for not considering her feelings. She must have been emotionally unstable to begin with based on how fast she broke down, but that was no excuse for taking his problems out on her. In an attempt to rebuild her confidence and speed up how fast he could get out of the room, he said "I'm real sorry nurse..." He looked down and noticed noticed a name tag on her apron. _'She's a volunteer and her name isn't Joy. I sure called that one wrong.'_ "Bianca, I'm sorry I'm acting irritated, but I've healed injuries like this before. You've done a wonderful job taking care of me up until this point, but I have to attend to some personal matters."

The girl's mood did a one-eighty and she cheerfully nodded her head. Removing the wires that had been attached to his body to monitor his vitals, the Slowking lowered himself to the ground. Before he made it to the door, however, Bianca said, "Hold on just for a moment, please." When he stopped, she continued, "This is the first time your trainer has ever brought you to a pokecenter so we'll need your name for the record. Do you go by Slowking?"

"I go by Sawyer when dealing with humans," he replied. She gave him a puzzled look. "Someone else decided it was a good name for me."

"I see... Well there's a few more things I could use your help with." She gave a warm smile which few people could probably refuse. Sawyer sighed and shut his door to freedom.

"Fine, but let's make this quick."

Had he known that Bianca was going to have him explain the differences in pokemon physiology between types and if he hadn't been worried about her collapsing in a puddle of her own tears, he would have bolted out the door. Unfortunately, he seemed to have a bit of a weakness for females of any species and it was hard for him to refuse their requests. _'Mental note... Come up with a way to nullify the move attract...' _

"So now do you understand why Advil doesn't work on most steel or rock types?" Sawyer banged his head against a wall. "And can I go attend to my own problems now?"

"Sorry, but Nurse Joy is making her rounds. Could you please wait a second for her to get here?"

Sawyer glared at her. "You've been stalling, haven't you?"

"You're the psychic. You should have figured it out."

Sawyer got back up on the bed. _'I might as well. I haven't had a decent checkup since that incident with the Sharpedo...'_ He pushed the memories aside. "I didn't read your mind because human thoughts tend to wander in directions I'd rather not know about. Just be glad I haven't decided to wipe your memory."

Bianca got the point and sat quietly till Nurse Joy came. Strolling into the room, she had the air of confidence one gets when they've been doing something they love for a very long time. "I see our patient is awake," she said in a gentle, but enthusiastic voice. Inspecting his injuries, she poked and prodded at him expecting a reaction. When she got none, she became worried. "The effects of the paralysis may still be lingering... He should be wincing from the broken ribs..."

'_I'm currently dulling my pain receptors and I'm in the process of healing the ribs,' _Sawyer projected into both of their heads. Telepathy among psychic types wasn't that rare and wouldn't create the fiasco that talking out loud usually did.

"Based on all of the scars around your body, I'd say you're already quite experienced in this area so I'll leave the healing process to you. Just let me do a quick check up to make sure you're healthy." After taking his vitals, weighing and measuring him, and listening to him breath, the Nurse said, "You're a little under the typical weight for your species, but I suspect you're also more active as well. Other than the broken ribs which I can't do much about anyways, you're in near perfect health so I have no reason to keep you here."

'_You have no idea how glad I am to hear that.' _Sawyer jumped off the bed and walked toward the door. _'I have some business to attend to so I'll be taking my leave.'_

"Going to get better acquainted with your new trainer?" Bianca asked.

He stopped for a second and replied, _'He's not my trainer and I intend to make sure he knows that.' _The thought sent a slight chill down her spine...

Sawyer slowly made his way through the halls toward the waiting room. The floors were cold beneath his feet and everything smelled sterile. He usually avoided going to pokemon centers if at all possible. They felt unnatural and made him uneasy. Pushing through a door into the waiting room, he looked around and eventually found the trainer. He seemed worried and didn't notice Sawyer till he had sat down in the chair next to him.

"Shouldn't you be in bed healing?"

'_I'm healing as we speak and I'll be good as new again by tomorrow.'_

"Good, cause you did a number on the rest of my team."

Sawyer gave him an annoyed look. _'I'm assuming you brought me here in a pokeball.'_

"That should be obvious. You weigh as much as I do."

'_I weigh less than most other Slowkings according to Nurse Joy so complain to someone else. Now let me see the pokeball.' _The trainer handed it to him and Sawyer activated it. He was surrounded by a red light and put inside the ball. The inside was a recreated river environment which would have been nice if Sawyer hadn't known it was just a facade. Using Psychic, he forced the ball open and reappeared in the real world.

"What was the point of that?" the trainer asked.

'_Curiosity,' _Sawyer thought before breaking the ball in two.

"Wait a second! You can't do that! I cau-"

Sawyer's glare stopped him from continuing his sentence. _'I have no need for a trainer as you plainly saw when we battled.' _Holding out his hand, a small bag materialized. Opening it, he pulled out several bills and handed them to the trainer. _'This should cover the costs of the ball I broke.'_

"Where did you get that?" the trainer asked unsure of where the bag of money came from. He looked Sawyer over for some kind of hidden pocket. "Did you-"

'_Steal it? No.' _Deciding he didn't owe any more of an explanation he continued, _'We need to discus the Frosslass from yesterday. I took the liberty of probing Nurse Joy's mind while she was examining me.'_

"You probed her mind?" the trainer interrupted, "Isn't that unethical?"

'Yes, but I was worried,' he left out the fact that more than a few of her thoughts were less professional and more of a perverted nature, '_Your Frosslass hasn't woken up yet and I'm worried that I may have gone too far in our battle. When she does wake up there might be lingering effects on her mental state.'_

Upon hearing that the trainer became angry and stood up. "Just what the hell did you do to her!"

Sawyer's eyes glowed as he took control of the trainer's muscles and sat him back down. _'You have two choices right now. Calm down so I can explain or be put to sleep so we can finish this conversation in your dreams where there's a chance, albeit small, that I'll make a mistake and you won't wake up.' _The trainer quit resisting and took a deep breath. _'Good boy. Now your Frosslass launched a mental assault on me during our battle. I don't take kindly to someone I don't know poking around in my memories so I forced her out and filled her consciousness with some... less than pleasant memories from my past.'_

"Memories?" the trainer asked, keeping his anger in check.

'_The actual event resulted in me being in a coma for over a week trying to delete those memories.'_

"So what does this mean for her?"

'_She should regain consciousness soon, but she'll be in a frail state of mind for a while. I intend to travel with you to ensure she's alright and to assist in her recovery if necessary.' _

A melody played over the loudspeakers as Bianca walked into the waiting room holding four pokeballs. She had switched out of the white nursing outfit and pink apron for a more casual outfit consisting of blue jeans and a black shirt and was carrying a backpack. Her dark red hair was up in a pony tail and that caring nature she'd given off back in the examining room had been replaced by a mischievous one. "Here's your pokemon Alexander," she said as she handed the pokeballs to him, "Hello Sawyer, I see you managed to find him just fine." Turning back to Alexander, she said, "When you told me you'd caught a new pokemon you left out the part about him talking."

"It's Alex and I was being considerate. I figured he might have wanted to keep it a secret."

'_I had wanted to, but I was still groggy after waking up so I spoke without thinking. Do you know this girl?'_

"We met two weeks ago. I've tried ditching her four times already, but I've never lost her for more than half a day" the trainer said with an air of defeat in his voice.

"Oh please. You like me being around and you know it," Bianca teased.

Sawyer laughed. _'Ah... young love.' _Alex groaned and didn't bother to answer. _'Anyhow Bianca, I'll be traveling with you until I confirm that Frosslass has been fully healed.'_

"Only till then?" she asked.

'_I don't need a trainer and I've grown accustomed to coming and going when and where I please. Besides, I don't accept the outcome of that battle. I'd been swimming for three days straight beforehand and I still managed to knock out his entire team before I collapsed from exhaustion.'_

Bianca gave an uninterested nod and turned her attention toward Alex. She pulled him on his arm, saying, "Come on Alex. We have to hurry to catch the ferry to the next island!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he replied, "You can come if you want- Sawyer was it?- but you have to agree to help with the restraining order."

'_I'm afraid that my testimony wouldn't hold up court. You'll have to manage without it.'_

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><p>With the ferry leaving in half an hour and the docks being several miles from the poke center, the three of them had to run to make it on time. Sawyer had no trouble keeping up which Alex commented on as they ran. "Aren't Slowkings supposed to be... slow?"<p>

'_Most lead a sedentary lifestyle and tend to neglect physical training,' _Sawyer projected, _'I do lots of traveling and I've made sure to stay in top physical condition.' _

"I see," Alex huffed, "So you're saying I hit gold when I spotted you and blew my chance to have you as a legitimate part of my team?"

"He's still here, isn't he?" Bianca jumped into the conversation. "The more the merrier I always say."

"Traveling alone is by far more enjoyable," Alex muttered.

_'Indeed,'_ Sawyer agreed.

The trio reached the docks in time and burst into the office. Sawyer was fine, but Bianca and Alex were gasping for air. The other two incapacitated, Sawyer took the initiative and projected to the clerk, _'Two tickets for the love birds if you would be so kind.'_

"We aren't a couple!" Alex said in between gasps.

"Thank you for your business" the clerk said after accepting the bills Sawyer was levitating in front of him. "Oh, I should warn you that you'll be required to put your Slowking in its pokeball sir." The clerk was apparently unaware of his surrounding as he had only just noticed the one who'd give him money wasn't human.

"Uh... he actually doesn't have a pokeball," Alex responded, "can't you let it slide?"

"He has to either be in a pokeball or you'll have to pay for another ticket."

'_Here then.'_ Some more money materialized on the clerks desk and Sawyer grabbed a ticket from the clerk. _'You owe me fifty dollars Alex now we'd better hurry. We have less than five minutes to make it to the ferry.'_

"But the tickets were only twenty-five!" Alex exclaimed.

_'You're being a gentleman and covering the young lady's traveling costs too.'_

"Why thank you Alex!" Bianca teased as she clung to him.

Alex shrugged her off and headed for the ferry. "Awww," Bianca said as she and Sawyer followed, "He's gonna try and get away again."

"How do you know that?" Sawyer said aloud since no one else was around.

"Every time he stomps off like that without saying anything, he makes an escape attempt."

"And you consider this a normal relationship?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"No reason in particular." Sawyer paused for a few minutes to consider this girl's sanity and whether or not encouraging her behavior was a good idea. After they'd boarded the ship, he decided it didn't affect him one way or the other and said, "Well shouldn't you be keeping a better eye on him?"

"He'll wait till after we reach the next town at least, but even if he does try something I'll be able to find him." She was wearing a smile that almost seemed too innocent.

Sawyer stopped for a few moments again before asking, "Are you stalking him?"

"Silly Sawyer," she replied, "He wants me around. He looked so lonely when I first saw him I knew that I just had to travel with him."

'_Okay, so Alex is obviously justified in his wish for a restraining order...'_ Sawyer thought to himself.

"And don't worry, I'm not crazy. It can be dangerous for a girl to travel alone so I took a precaution."

"Something tells me you don't need any form of protection."

"Why's that?" she replied.

Sawyer was forgetting something from the day before. He'd started a battle with Alex and had tried to talk his way out of it, but that wasn't all. It was at the edge of his thoughts, but he couldn't recall it. "Just a feeling I have."

"Okay. Well I'm gonna go see what Alex is up to. Can I go or do you want me to stay and protect you?" she joked.

"I'll be fine. Just tell Alex to release Frosslass so I can evaluate her mental health."

"Will do Tom!" Bianca shouted as she searched the ferry for Alex.

"I appreciate it," he called back. Sawyer stared out at the sea and wondered where Kyogre was. It had dove into the dark, cold depths of the ocean before he'd been able to catch it. Even if it surfaced right next to the ferry, though, he wouldn't be able to go after it because of his obligation to the Frosslass. _'This is a lot like the time Sandy and I_-' what Bianca had said finally clicked, _'-How'd she know to call me Tom?'_

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><p>Rule 1 (amended): Always be aware of your surroundings when alone. NEVER drop your guard when you aren't.<p> 


	2. The Old Flame

A/N: Sorry it took so long, but I'm lazy. Foxy: I worked your request in there and I feel like it turned out well so pat yourself on the back. Everyone else may remember the four R's: Rest, relax, read, and review.

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><p>Rule 2: Don't lie. Just stretch the truth.<p>

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><p>'<em>That hurt you know...'<em>

"I do know. Those were my memories." Sawyer was sitting at the port side of the ferry with his legs dangling off the side. The spray from the ocean was hitting his feet and he enjoyed the sensation. 'They've probably dulled with time as well...'

'_Not from what I could tell. It felt like I was actually there.' _The Frosslass, who's name happened to be Yuki, was sitting on the ferry's railing although Sawyer couldn't tell if she was actually putting any weight on it or if she was just levitating in the position for the sake of appearances. _'But I really don't want to think about it anymore... so tell me what happened. How'd Alex manage to catch you?'_

Sawyer leaned back and saw several Wingulls riding the air currents above the ferry. "I blacked out shortly after you did. I'm guessing he caught me and ran for the nearest pokemon center."

'_Aren't Slowking known for their endurance? I find it hard to believe you'd collapse after only a few battles.' _Yuki suddenly disappeared before reappearing with a loaf of bread. She offered it to Sawyer which he gladly accepted. His last meal was a Magikarp he'd caught out of necessity during his pursuit of Kyogre.

"I'd been swimming for three days before I'd reached that island the night before our fateful encounter," he said with a touch of sarcasm in his voice. "I was in desperate need of rest."

'_All I hear are excuses. You're still here and you're still a part of Alex's team just like me.' _She seemed like she was pleased with how everything had turned out. _'It'll be nice to have someone new around. The others are all very anti-social. Especially Scar- that's the Skarmory in case you couldn't figure it out, but then again who couldn't? He calls himself that to remind himself of some disgraceful defeat from when he was wild. I've tried to explain puns to him, but he never could or really even tried to understand. Sometimes I doubt if he ever thinks at-'_

"I'm not part of the team," Sawyer interrupted. Yuki gave him a questioning stare, urging him to continue. "I broke the pokeball. I don't intend to let Alex train me."

'_But when a trainer catches you you're suppose to...'_ Yuki was becoming distraught. She'd been so happy to have a companion to confide in that finding out that she was mistaken was hard to handle. Top that with having her mind nearly torn apart the day before and Sawyer could understand her reaction. _'Why are you even here!'_ Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.

"Please don't cry!" Sawyer said, frantically trying to prevent her from completely breaking down. "I'm staying to make sure you make a full recovery!"

'_But after that you're going to leave me!' _The tears started to stream down her cheeks and she started sob. Getting desperate, Sawyer used Yawn and Yuki slowly began to drift downward. _'I don't want to be alone anymore!' _she cried, but her thoughts were getting weaker. Losing the ability to keep herself in the air, Sawyer caught her before she could fall into the ocean. Her eyes fluttered as she looked up at him, trying to stay awake. _'Don't... let go...'_ her voice trailed off.

'_Damn it.'_

* * *

><p>Sawyer returned to their party's cabin with Yuki in his arms, being careful not to hit her head as he walked through the narrow door. Bianca started humming the tune to Here Comes the Bride because of the way he was carrying her. When he'd laid her down on one of the two beds in the cramped cabin, he turned to Bianca and Alex. Alex seemed on edge and didn't relax again until Bianca got bored with Sawyer's lack of a reaction and went back to reading a magazine she was holding.<p>

'_She was referring to me and Yuki,'_ Sawyer projected so that only Alex could hear him.

'_You expect me to believe that's all she was imagining?'_ he thought back, _'Everywhere I go, there she is. It's like she knows what I'm going to do before I even think it!'_

'_If it makes you feel better, she told me part of the reason she's following you is because she's scared to travel alone.'_

'_Well that does kind of make me feel better...' _Alex readjusted himself and took a deep breath. _"_Let's talk about Yuki. What do you think?" he said aloud.

Sawyer sat on the bed next to her and frowned. "I was hoping she would only be a little shaken, but she seems unstable. When she heard that I wasn't going to remain a part of your team, she lost all composure and broke down."

"That doesn't sound good," Bianca said quietly.

"It's not. It may be a while before I can get back to my own life."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Alex asked, "You don't have to."

"Yes I do. I'd never be able to live with myself if I left a woman in trouble to fend for herself." Sawyer smiled and sent an image to Alex of him in a suit of armor saving Bianca from a tall tower guarded by a Rayquaza.

"Fine, I get your point! Just stop doing that!" Alex exclaimed.

"Awww..." Bianca said as she clung to him, "You're my night in shining honor Sir Alexander." She giggled and skipped out of the cabin, but not before blowing a kiss in Alex's direction which he did his best to dodge.

'_I must be loosing my touch,' _Sawyer thought, _'That was meant for just Alex...'_ Sawyer lay down on the other bed and closed his eyes. "Wake me up the instant she comes to and don't put her in her pokeball. She might be a little confused since I put her to sleep rather suddenly."

"You put her to sleep?" Alex asked while looking out the door to see if Bianca was actually gone.

"I did."

"It sounds like you panicked," Alex said, "I thought Slowkings remained calm under any situation," Alex chided.

"I calmly decided I wasn't sure what to do and put her to sleep so I could figure it out."

"Still sounds like you panicked."

"She's coming back." Sawyer smiled after he heard Alex fall backward, trip over a chair, and come crashing to the floor. "My mistake. It was someone else."

"Owww..."

* * *

><p>Sawyer's eyes shot open. He was gasping for air and his heart was beating so hard he thought it would split his chest open. Pain shot through his side where his ribs where still healing. Running as much as he had earlier that day was one of his stupider moves. Letting his eyes adjust to the low levels of light filtering through the cabin's only window, he was surprised to learn it was already well past sundown. Sitting up, he got off the bed and creeped past a sleeping bag where he assumed Alex was lightly snoring. <em>'I'd have given him the bed if he'd asked...'<em>

Walking out onto the deck of the ship, Sawyer felt a bit of a chill in the air. The sky was clear and there was a full moon out which gave off more than enough light to be able to see. Looking over the side, he watched the waves glide past the boat. _'That's strange... the waves seem off somehow...' _Dismissing the thought, he looked up and saw Bianca at the bow leaning over the railing. "Bianca," he called as he walked towards her, "what are you doing up?"

Bianca turned suddenly with a surprised look on her face. "I- uh- wasn't feeling too good so I came out here for some air."

Sawyer smiled. "Sea sickness creeps up on even the best of us." Holding out his hand, there was a small flash of light and a tablet appeared in it. "This should help to settle your stomach."

Bianca thanked him and took the tablet. She said, "You did that back when we bought our ferry tickets. Where does that stuff come from?"

Sawyer clutched his side and groaned a little. He'd forgotten to turn his pain receptors in the area back off. Once he had numbed the area, he replied "It's nothing too special. Just something I picked up several years ago." Sawyer sat down on the deck and Bianca did the same. Above them the stars and full moon were casting a luminescent glow. "I may be traveling with you longer than I had originally anticipated."

Bianca put on a mischievous grin and said, "Getting attached to a certain kimono wearing ghost?"

"Why is it humans always jump to conclusions?" Sawyer asked. "I'm obligated to stay until she recovers. Nothing more."

"What did you show her?" Bianca asked.

The memories came flooding to the forefront of his consciousness and Sawyer had to force them to recede back into the corner of his mind before speaking again. "I'd rather not say." It was then that he saw Bianca doubled over holding her head. "Are you okay?"

"The uh-sea sickness got worse. I'm gonna go lie down..." Bianca stood up and slowly made her way back to her cabin. Sawyer got up and strolled around the deck some to clear his head. He hadn't had a dream that vivid in a long time and its content had been troubling. He had no knack for seeing the future and left the practice of clairvoyance to the psychics who were good at it, but his instincts were telling him something bad was about to happen.

Before long though, he dismissed the thought and returned to the cabin. After the last few days he'd had, he probably needed the rest more than anyone else in the group. His mental powers were severely handicapped and he would continue to be vulnerable until he recovered.

As he silently opened the door, he chuckled. Bianca had managed to find her way into Alex's sleeping bag. _'Bold move. It looks like Alex won't be getting rid of her anytime soon.' _Moving to the bed, Sawyer yawned and got under the covers.

'_It's doubtful. He's tried several times.'_ Sawyer shuddered as he felt Yuki wrap her arms around him. The chime of her voice became clearer when she touched him. '_In a way, I admire the girl's tenacity. I don't know if I could keep it up as long as she has... But then again, I can always try...'_

'_I'd really rather you not,' _Sawyer retorted.

'_You don't have much say in the matter. Now why did you put me to sleep?' _Yuki held onto him tighter and cuddled her head into his back.

'_I thought it was the best course of action.'_

'_Why not just tell me you'd join Alex's team?"_

'_I didn't want to lie to you.'_

'_Why not? It would have calmed me down.'_

'_I'm inept when it comes to comforting others.' _Sawyer felt his mental barriers being breached.

'_You weren't always that way...' _

'_I'd figured you'd have learned your lesson the last time you tried to worm your way into my head. There's nothing in there you'd want to know.' _Sawyer was relieved when she quit trying to dig into his memories.

'_Couldn't you at least humor me with a happy thought...? We can say it's for my recovery...'_ Yuki pleaded through a yawn.

Sawyer thought of a time he'd slept till noon. _'That's about as happy as gets.' _After a few seconds, he realized he was thinking to himself and that Yuki had already drifted off to sleep. He relaxed and had to admit being so close to her was pleasant. _'But I'd still better set some more definite boundaries tomorrow night...' _was the last thing he thought before slipping away from reality as well.

* * *

><p>Sawyer stretched as their party walked off the boat. They'd arrived at the next island shortly after noon. The ferry was small and not in necessarily high demand, but Sawyer had wondered why he never saw, or sensed for that matter, a crew. It turned out the ship had been mostly automized with mechanic who'd slept through the majority of the two day trip being the only human on board that wasn't a guest. The entire process raised numerous safety considerations for the passengers. Since he hadn't seen Yuki since they'd woken up that morning, he put the thought aside for later and stretched out his senses across the island. He felt a strong, yet familiar presence, but it hid before he could identify it.<p>

"You've been uncharacteristically quiet," Alex said to Sawyer, "Something on your mind?"

'_There's too many people around to talk aloud without drawing attention to ourselves,' _Sawyer projected to Alex and Bianca, _'but I was just considering the automation of the ferry service.' _He locked on to Yuki nearby. She was flying back in their direction.

"The ferries on all the nearby islands are owned by one company. I think they're trying to reduce costs or something. What do you think?" Bianca said.

"I for one don't think I could handle another lecture like the one from yesterday..." Alex said, effectively ending the conversation. Sawyer focused on Alex. He seemed even edgier than he'd been on the ferry. His eyes were darting back and forth and he never let his feet stay planted in one spot. It reminded Sawyer of an experience from a while back when he'd cornered a Houndoom that had decided to pick a fight with him. The encounter had given him a nasty scar, but he doubted Alex would take things that far.

The three of them found their way to the village's main street and there were a few performers out despite the town not being big enough to necessarily support such work. A few venders had stands set up along the street as well.

Yuki phased into view next to Sawyer. _'Where have you been?' _Sawyer kept everyone but her from hearing him.

'_I sensed a strong psychic presence nearby and went to investigate,' _Yuki said quietly,_ 'but before I could find the source it hid itself.' _Sawyer could understand her wariness. For many, the ability to invade another's mind brought with it a constant paranoia of others with the same ability.

'_I sensed it too. I may be wrong, but I think I know who it is. And... there goes Alex.'_ Bianca had stopped to watch a Plusle and Minun perform with their trainer. She giggled as they touched tails and sparks popped into the air and Sawyer laughed as Alex pulled his own trick by disappearing into a nearby alley. _'Should we tell her?'_

'_She'll find him whether we tell her or not. We'll be eating a fancy dinner with her tonight and Alex will be depressed for a while. Life goes on.'_

'_Why will we be eating the fancy dinner?' _Sawyer asked as he led the two of them into a different alley.

'_Because Bianca will demand he buy her dinner to apologize for ditching her.' _Yuki became timid. _'You said you might know who that presence belonged to?'_

Sawyer smiled and turned around. "I'm positive now," he said aloud. Yuki jumped and hid behind Sawyer when she turned as well to find a Ninetales sitting behind them, flicking her tails. "It's been a long time, Holo."

'_Long? Has it really been that long?' _the Ninetales asked. Her voice was was steady and held a formidable strength behind it.

"Over six months, but I suppose that's next to nothing in your lifespan."

'_True. So who's your friend?' _Yuki had instinctively vanished, but Sawyer could still feel her clinging to his back. _'Relax a little dear. A friend of Th-' _Sawyer silenced her with a glare and she adjusted her statement. _'A friend of Sawyer's is a friend of mine.' _Yuki reappeared, but didn't let her guard drop.

"Meeting you here was unexpected."

'_Yes, a very pleasant surprise,' _Holo's voice became sweeter and seductive.

Sawyer ignored her tone and said, "I have some things I'd like to discuss with you."

'_Unfortunately sweetie, we'll have to postpone our discussion till later.'_ Sawyer nodded in understanding as she continued, _'I'll find you once I've finished my business on this island and you can explain to me why the new developments in your love life don't involve me.'_

"Now don't you start too!" Sawyer growled. Holo winked before standing up and disappearing around a corner, her presence vanishing as well.

Yuki relaxed a little, but still held onto him tightly. _'She has to be the strongest psychic I've ever come into contact with.' _She was trembling from just the residual traces of Holo's presence. _'How could you talk to her so casually?'_

"Maybe because the score is 4-3 in my favor?" Sawyer said as he led her out of the alley.

'_You've fought her and won!' _Yuki was astonished,_ 'She must be hundreds of years old!'_

"Five-hundred, give or take a few decades. But I'm not exactly a hatchling either," Sawyer replied as he attempted to filter out the town's mental white noise and locate Alex and Bianca. He found Alex almost immediately, but Bianca was no where to be found. "That's strange..."

'_Of course it's strange!' _Yuki was getting over the initial shock as Holo's last comment started to sink in. '_Her presence alone leaves me trembling but she flirts with you! I want a complete explanation! She's more than just a friend and I don't like it! In the very least she's somewhat interested-' _

Sawyer interrupted her, _'I was talking about Bianca. I can't find her.'_

Yuki wasn't ready to let subject go, but she put it away until later. _'She disappears from time to time, especially when Alex makes one of his escape attempts.' _ Sawyer nodded, but didn't say anything else. He had a hunch, but he'd have to wait until he could ask Holo and confirm it. She was on a job though, so that might not be for months depending on what she'd been asked to do.

Sawyer had been so lost in his thoughts, he barely had time to react when a Tauros rounded a corner and came barreling towards them. Sawyer grabbed Yuki and held her close to his body. _'What- What are you-' _Sawyer tuned her out and used Protect. The Tauros slammed into the force field and staggered backward in a daze. With his wounds almost completely healed and several days rest behind him, Sawyer unleashed the power he'd been suppressing.

"Yuki! Move away from here!" She did as she was told and disappeared. The Tauros came to its senses and started to paw the ground, enraged by Sawyer's defiance. It trotted back several yards and then charged again. Sawyer sidestepped, barely avoiding the attack and scored a direct hit with a Water Pulse.

It wasn't finished though and charged again. This time Sawyer's eyes glowed a bright green as he redirected the Tauros with Psychic into a nearby vendor's stand, sending fruit rolling everywhere. Lifting it high into the air, he brought it down with a loud thump making a small indent in the dirt road. The Tauros stood again, but stumbled and fell to ground unconscious immediately afterward.

Yuki reappeared next to Sawyer. She was trembling worse than before. _'Wh-Why weren't y-you this strong when we fought?' _

"That doesn't matter right now! Let's get out of here before a crowd gathers!" Sawyer grabbed Yuki's hand and pulled her into a nearby alley. He'd escaped just as the police had shown up. Dealing with them would be an unnecessary hassle and they might even consider his actions a crime. Breathing deeply, he cleared his mind and eavesdropped on the people who had gathered at the scene.

One of them who was talking to an officer said, "A Slowking and a Frosslass were walking out of an alley when this Tauros ran in out of nowhere and charged the two of them! But the Slowking reacted faster than anything I've ever seen and pummeled it without hardly breaking a sweat!"

"And then what happened?" the officer asked while jotting down the details on a notepad.

"He shouted something like 'It doesn't matter!' and then something about a crowd. He was talking officer! I've heard of it, but I ain't never seen it for myself!" This was apparently more excitement then the town was use to as the man talking seemed very enthusiastic about the whole event. "It was some sight. If it has a trainer, he'd have to be a damn good one!"

Sawyer cursed his luck. _'There were witnesses. We'll have to get out of here quick if we want to avoid the commotion.'_

'_Shouldn't we just tell them what happened?' _Yuki's levitation began to fail and she started to descend toward the ground.

'_I don't want to put you through that kind of ordeal right now,' Sawyer told her. _Despite the fact she was maintaining rational thought, Sawyer could feel Yuki's mental state teetering. She'd experienced too much too soon and his heightened psychic energies probably weren't helping the situation. Raising his mental barriers, Sawyer suppressed his powers again and focused what was left on pinpointing Alex's location. Yuki stabilized a bit, but if things dragged on like they were she would break down regardless of if he was hiding his presence or not.

'_But if they trace us back to Alex or Bianca then we could get them in trouble!'_

Sawyer thought to himself for a moment before replying, _'At least let me get you back to Alex first. I'll return and tell the police what happened afterward.'_

'_Alright then...'_ Satisfied with his answer, Yuki's attitude shifted. _'I'm so tired...' _she thought,_ 'You're going to just have to carry me...' _

It'd be faster than arguing with her so Sawyer obliged, catching her as she fell into his arms. Once he had a definite fix on Alex's location he started to make his way through back ways and alleys toward the island's only hotel. Yuki fell asleep in his arms a few minutes after they left the alley. If anything, it'd make concentrating easier.

He avoided people as much as possible, but some were bound to notice him. Gossip spread so fast in small towns that it wouldn't take long for the authorities to catch wind of his whereabouts. _'I'll just have to make sure Yuki is taken care of before that happens...' _he thought to himself.

* * *

><p>After about twenty minutes of sneaking, Sawyer found the hotel. It had only two floors since the islands rarely received more than a few visitors at any one point in time. When he came in, he walked up to the clerks desk. <em>'Has a trainer by the name of Alex checked in here?' <em>Sawyer asked the clerk.

The clerk nodded and said, "Yes, he told me some pokemon might show up after he did."

'_If you could direct me to his room, I'd appreciate it.'_

"It's in room 204." The clerk hesitated for a few moments before asking, "So are you the Slowking that the entire town is in a buzz about?"

'_It must be someone else,' _Sawyer told him as he looked for the elevator.

The clerk saw through his halfhearted lie and continued, "That Tauros has been a nuisance for the last few days, but no one's been able to catch it. We even hired outside help to take care of the problem!" The clerk laughed, "Anyway, the police want to find your trainer and give it to him as a reward for stopping it. So is it true you can talk without telepathy?"

"No," Sawyer replied out loud. The elevator doors shut and Sawyer sighed. If the Tauros had been the business Holo had been talking about, then she wouldn't be happy he'd beaten her to the punch. She be even angrier that he'd done it on accident. Prior experience had proved she could have a short fuse...

When the elevator started to move, Yuki stirred in his arms and her eyes fluttered open. _'You're thinking about that flirt, aren't you?'_

Sawyer strengthened his mental barriers which she'd gotten past while he was talking to the clerk. "I'm trying to decide where I should meet her for our date tonight," he teased. Yuki responded by instantly dropping the temperature in the elevator to near freezing which left Sawyer's teeth chattering. "No ne-need to g-get vengeful."

'_I'm supposed to be vengeful,' _Yuki replied. After that though, she dozed off again. The elevator doors opened and Sawyer found his way to Alex's room.

"Alex it's me," Sawyer said as he knocked on the door.

"Come on in," Bianca called back to him.

Sawyer had to keep himself from laughing as he entered. Alex was sitting in the corner staring wall with a look of defeat on his face while Bianca was in a chair reading another magazine. Moments later he stood up and went to the bathroom. There was a loud click as he locked the door and then Sawer heard him turn the shower on.

"Is he okay?" Sawyer asked as he gently put Yuki on one of the two beds in the room.

Bianca giggled. "I'll make him feel much better tonight." She winked suggestively and Sawyer had to fight his curiosity to keep from reading her thoughts.

"I've got something I need to take care of. Can you watch Yuki for me?"

"No problem. Be back soon though. We're going to go to a fancy dinner after Alex feeds the other pokemon." Bianca giggled again.

"I may end up bringing an extra guest along. Will that be okay?"

"The more the merrier."

* * *

><p>Sawyer thought carefully about his next move. The wrong one could cost him dearly. "You certainly have me in a bind here," Sawyer said as he tried to formulate a plan of attack.<p>

Holo yawned. _'It's your own fault for refusing to sacrifice your Queen.' _Her tails flicked in anticipation. She had wanted him to immediately fill her in, but he'd insisted upon talking as they played. They were limited two minutes per move so as to prevent thinking thousands of moves ahead, and reading the other's mind was also not allowed. Anytime they played without those rules, the game tended to last for days if not weeks and had more than once evolved into physical confrontation.

"I'm worried about what you plan to do to once she's gone," Sawyer said as he sacrificed his last knight.

'_The way you play usually reflects your current mindset. Does you not wanting to give up your Queen symbolize anything?' _Holo moved her bishop and took the Knight. _'Check.'_

"Maybe. My peaceful life of wandering has faced several setbacks these last several weeks." Sawyer saw his time slipping away and tried to come up with a way out. "I came close to catching Kyogre."

'_I thought you were going to give up on that?' _Holo said.

"I wasn't searching for it this time. It got close and I couldn't resist. Unfortunately I exhausted myself and that put me into the position I'm in now." Sawyer took the Bishop with a Pawn and sighed as Holo made her final move.

'_Checkmate. That makes the score 4-4.' _Holo stood up and stretched. It was getting close to the time they'd have to leave. _'It's been a while since I tried this.' _Holo wrapped her tails around her and was enveloped in blue flames. When the flames receded, she had the appearance of being human. Her fur was replaced by pale skin and she now had long, dark red hair hanging down to her waist. She stood up on two legs and walked around some, working out the kinks in her transformation.

"Let's not make the same mistake we did last time," Sawyer said as he teleported a set of female's clothing and handed it to her.

"Awww... but they itch..." Holo complained as she looked at the skirt and underwear.

"The point of you transforming in the first place is so that you can pass for my trainer and receive the reward for defeating that Tauros," Sawyer said, "We can't have you thrown in jail for public indecency."

"I still don't understand why you get to keep half of it," she said as she started dressing.

"Because I did all of the work. Be grateful I didn't cut the real humans in on the deal."

"Fine, but they're coming off right after that." Holo finished dressing, but was obviously uncomfortable.

"I was actually hoping you'd join me and the others for dinner after we claim the reward."

Holo ran over and hugged him. "Of course I'll be your date!"

"Don't start with me Holo." Sawyer pushed her away from him. "I don't have enough energy to fight you and Yuki off at the same time. Besides, I told you about Yuki's mental state. Just having you there will be hard on her."

Holo ignored what he said. "Deny it all you want. I know you want me."

"Don't makes things up." They entered the town, but Sawyer decided him talking aloud wouldn't make much of a difference since everyone in town had already heard about the talking Slowking. Pretty soon, they reached the police station.

The officer Sawyer had seen questioning the crowd walked up to them as they entered and asked, "Are you two the ones that stopped the rampaging Tauros earlier today?"

"Yes," Holo replied, "I'm sorry I didn't check in sooner, but I ran into some delays."

"That will be alright," the officer said, "the Chief would like to speak with you." He led them to a back office. A female officer was dozing in her chair with her feet up on her desk. "Errr... Chief? Chief!"

"AHHH!" The Chief fell back in her chair and went crashing to the floor. "What did I tell you Isaac about waking me up! If it's too much for you to handle, pass it off to O'Mally!"

"Chief Jenny, it's the trainer and her pokemon that completed the job request you had sent out."

The female officer got up and noticed Sawyer and Holo standing there. Her face turned bright red. "Very good Issac! Now go errr... do rounds or something!"

"Yes sir!" Isaac ran out of the office and onto the streets intent on catching every litterbug in town.

Chief Jenny sat back down and motioned for Holo and Sawyer to do the same. "I swear... That boy's enthusiasm would be better spent trying to get a girlfriend... You wouldn't happen to be interested, would you?" She was asking Holo.

Holo smiled, but said, "I've already got my sights set on someone." Sawyer jumped slightly when she discreetly pinched the back of his neck.

"Darn... So you're the one who accepted the job, are you not?" She placed a pokeball on the table.

"I am."

"And are you her pokemon?" she asked Sawyer. He nodded. "Don't give me the silent treatment, I have witnesses saying you can talk."

"Fine. I'm hers," Sawyer lied.

Chief Jenny looked at Holo then back at Sawyer. "No. You aren't, because she isn't even human.

* * *

><p>Rule 2 (amended): Never lie to a cop. They'll <strong><em>know<em>**.

* * *

><p>AN: Mwahaha! That's right. A _**cliffhanger**_! Anyhow, you know the drill: Review to your hearts content.


	3. Raring to Go

A/N: Let me start by saying, oops. It's been a while hasn't it? Stop yelling! I have feelings too! Details and my pitiful excuse for an excuse can be found on my profile page. Anyhow, I feel I never properly explained the rules. The rules at the top are the standard rules all Slowking are taught before journeying out into the wide world in pursuit of knowledge. The ones at the bottom are Sawyer's versions of the rules based upon his experiences and personality. Read, rest, relax, review... Repeat?

* * *

><p>Rule 3: Never act on impulse. Evaluate the situation carefully and only then should you decide whether to act in the first place.<p>

* * *

><p>Sawyer's mind raced. This person knew Holo wasn't human which could have all sorts of implications. His immediate concern was in how she knew. He took a few minutes to consider where they might have messed up, but nothing he could come up with fit the puzzle.<p>

'Should we rewrite her memory?' Holo projected to Sawyer, 'I don't like that someone knows my little secret.'

'That would take too long even for us,' he responded, 'and I'd rather not have to read her mind.'

'Then what should we do? Threaten her?'

Jenny took what she perceived as silence as evidence she was right. Walking from behind her desk, she shut the door to her office. As soon as it shut, she became giddy, coming very close to actually jumping up and down. "I knew it!" she exclaimed, "You're her!"

"Huh?" Both Sawyer and Holo asked. Sawyer wasn't sure what she was talking about and the sudden enthusiasm did nothing to clarify the situation.

"Don't play dumb!" Jenny said, "Teenage girl with dark red hair? You have to be her!"

"I never play dumb," Sawyer said, "What are you talking about?" Holo sent him an image of him dressed as a court jester, but he ignored it.

Jenny frowned. "The facility on the mainland... You're not the girl that escaped?"

"This is the first I'm hearing of it," Holo said.

Sawyer sighed. They were going to be late if things didn't speed up. "Start from the beginning," Sawyer said, his eyes glowing a light blue as he spoke. "Who is this girl with dark red hair you're talking about?"

Jenny's eyes became glazed over. She only needed a little coaxing to tell them everything. "A few months ago, my officer O'Mally detected a series of pokeball transfers that weren't recorded in the official pokecenter logs. Things are so slow around here that I gave him the thumbs up to investigate further." Sawyer frowned. If they weren't using main channels to make the transfers then there was probably criminal involvement.

"Did he find something?" Holo asked. She was starting to get interested.

"Yes, he did," Jenny said. "After he detected an unusually strong energy transfer he was able to get the general location of where it was sent and was even able to worm his way into the rogue network's database. Unfortunately, all he really found were some useless employee files and some e-mails. Most of them were personal messages from friend to friend and gave very little information except for this one which we intercepted a few days later." Jenny walked back behind her desk and rummaged around in her drawer for a few moments. Finally, she pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Holo.

Holo read it aloud, "Attention all employees, Subject B-4 has escaped her holding cell and is hiding somewhere within the compound. It is of the utmost importance that she be recaptured or terminated. She has the appearance of a teenage human girl with dark red hair. Do not be fooled by her appearance. She is extremely dangerous. The organization appreciates your cooperation." Holo looked up from the paper after she finished.

Jenny continued, "A few hours after we intercepted that, the database crashed and we received reports of an explosion on the mainland in the general area where we'd traced the pokeball transfers to."

"And since Holo matches the description, you thought it might be her," Sawyer concluded. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but she's not the one mentioned in that message."

Jenny glared at Sawyer. "I'm aware of that now. Your reactions told me as much..." Her eyes regained their natural appearance and her mouth dropped. "Why the hell did I just tell you two that!?"

"Hypnosis," Sawyer said, "in some cases it can be more effective than reading someone's mind."

"I've been trained to resist all forms of psychic intrusion!" Jenny held her head between her hands in dismay.

Holo smirked and replied, "You obviously weren't trained well enough. Now I'd like my reward."

'Our reward,' Sawyer reminded her.

"Fine, just take this!" Jenny handed the pokeball sitting on her desk to Holo. "You beat it so it's your responsibility! Now get out!" She pushed them out of her office, past the officers, and out onto the street before slamming the door.

"Uh... Sawyer?"

"Yes?"

"How are we going to split a Tauros?"

* * *

><p>"Sawyer!" Bianca called as she waved to him. "We're over here!" Sawyer and Holo worked their way through the restaurant and sat down at the table. The restaurant wasn't particularly fancy, but it had still taken some convincing to get the hostess to let Sawyer dine at the table with the others. Much to his chagrin however, he'd become somewhat of a celebrity around town and that fact was useful in persuading the restaurant's hesitant staff.<p>

Holo followed Sawyer through the maze of tables to where the others were sitting. As they sat down Alex said, "We almost ordered without you." He was dressed with probably the only clothes he carried with him that could pass for being nice: his better pair of jeans and a long sleeved, pearl-snap, collared shirt. It seemed like he was in much higher spirits though and Sawyer hoped he would be able to get a good discussion out of him. With all the time he'd spent with Yuki over the course of their voyage to the island, his conversations with the trainer had been few and far between.

"We had some unexpected delays on the way here," Sawyer didn't mention those delays included Holo stopping in an antique shop to insist a Vulpix figurine in the window had been her favorite toy as a pup which she'd lost somewhere in the course of her long life. The puppy dog look she'd given him had been too much for him to endure and he had ended up spending half of his cash reserves to buy it for her despite his suspicions this was the first time Holo had even seen it. Pushing the memory aside, he continued. "Bianca, Alex, this is Holo. I hope you won't mind if she joins us. We've run into each other several times in the past."

"Sweetie!" Holo exclaimed, "You make it sound like we're nothing more than acquaintances." Her voice became seductive and the next sentence seemed to bubble out from between her lips. "I'd say I know you much better than that."

Alex seemed oblivious to the meaning behind her words and was preoccupied trying to flag down their waiter, but Bianca picked up on the innuendo and just about choked on her soda. "You- you two- together?" she asked in between coughs.

"Don't take what she says seriously," Sawyer replied. "Where's Yuki?"

"She stayed back at the hotel. She seemed tired," Alex said. He then cursed when he realized the waiter had passed by when he had turned away to talk.

Sawyer sat down, happy there was a hole in the back of the chair his tail could go through. "I see." Yuki would have just gotten upset if she had come so it was probably for the best.

'So is that the girl you were telling me about?' Holo projected so only Sawyer could hear.

'She is,' Sawyer thought back, 'I'd had my suspicions about her, but after hearing what that perverted police officer had to say-'

'Perverted? I thought you said you didn't want to read her mind!' Holo interrupted.

'A momentary lapse in judgement as we were booted out of the building. Anyways, she matches the description perfectly. It's quite possible, likely even, she's the one that was mentioned in that e-mail.'

'I'm more interested in what you saw in Ms. Police Chief's head. Did it have anything to do with that Tauros we took off their hands?'

'None of that matters!' Holo had an affinity for getting under Sawyer's skin. 'You get more vulgar every time I-'

"Hey you two!" Alex had been trying to get their attention. "Mind including us in your little discussion?"

Holo apologized, "Sorry, I had something private I wanted to share with him." Bianca choked on her drink again and Holo waited for her to clear her throat before continuing. "So do you have any Pokemon of your own Bianca?"

"Well no," she replied, "I've never had my own Pokemon."

"But isn't it dangerous for you to travel without one?" Holo asked. Sawyer's plan seemed to be going smoothly so far. Since neither he nor Holo wanted the Tauros, they were going to try and pass it off on Bianca. Taking care of a stubborn Tauros would be a liability to both of them and took precedent over their joint curiosity involving the mystery surrounding the eccentric girl.

"I've got all the protection I need right here!" Bianca gave a wide smile and locked her arm with Alex's. This took Alex by surprise and he struggled to disentangle their arms. When he failed to free himself, he sighed and returned to trying to wave down the waiter.

"But it still would be a good idea to have a back-up plan in case he isn't nearby," Holo reasoned. "I know!" She feigned an epiphany and pulled out the Tauros' pokeball. "I've got a Pokemon I only just recently caught. I was going to release it, but why don't you take it?"

Bianca was hesitant to take the ball and for an instant Sawyer thought he saw a fearful expression on her face, but it was very quickly replaced by a smile and Bianca took the Tauros. "Thank you very much!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe I've got my first Pokemon! Isn't that great Alex?"

Alex had given up on getting the waiter to take their order and was instead eying Holo with a suspicious glare. He could tell there was something else going on. "Good for you," he said, "So- Holo was it?- Tell us about yourself. How do you know Sawyer?"

Sawyer was slightly impressed with the diligence Alex was keeping. His guard was up and whether it was genuine concern for Bianca or just a suspicious nature it seemed he wouldn't be content until he knew more about their guest. Holo flashed a devilish smile toward Sawyer. "Well the first thing I need to tell you is that Sawyer here is quite the charmer..."

* * *

><p>The dinner had been torture, Sawyer decided. He'd spent the entire time refuting everything Holo said. Alex seemed to know better and actually found Sawyer's discomfort entertaining, but Bianca was convinced there was an immoral relationship going on between the two of them. Holo never told them that she was really a Ninetales and that any relationship between the two of them would have been perfectly acceptable by society's standards, but that was beside the point. The springs of the hotel bed squeaked as he fell into it face first and let out a yawn. He'd paid to have his own room, on the opposite side of the building, so he could have some privacy. His funds were starting to run low and he would have to take a job soon to replenish them.<p>

Sawyer sighed and turned over to find Yuki's ghostly eyes staring down at him from above. Their eyes locked and for a moment neither of them said anything. He still held out hope that she miraculously hadn't noticed him. 'Well?' she asked, 'What do you have to say for yourself?'

'Damn it,' he thought to himself as he rolled back over.

'Don't just ignore me!' Yuki's voice ringed in is head.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Sawyer lied. After the day he'd had, he desperately wanted to be alone.

'Bianca's in the other room hysterical because you're in an scandalous relationship with some human girl! Explain yourself this instant!'

"Bianca got the wrong impression," Sawyer said, "Just ask Alex. He was-" Sawyer stopped mid-sentence. He pulled Yuki close to him and used Protect. A loud crash suddenly shook the entire hotel. Pieces of the ceiling fell around them.

'What the hell was that!?' Yuki screamed into his head.

Sawyer yelled, "Stay put!" and dashed out the door and into the hallway. It was as if a chunk of wall had just been ripped out of the building. He heard Bianca scream and quickened his pace, making his way around piles of rubble. A heavy cloud of dust clogged his throat as he ran. The building had visible cracks all over the walls and ceiling and it kept getting worse until he reached Bianca and Alex's room.

Sawyer ripped the door off its hinges with Psychic and burst into the room. Just as he had expected, there was a massive hole in the wall. The room was in shambles with debris thrown everywhere. Bianca was standing in the middle of the room facing the hole. "It's not my fault," she whispered. Sawyer tried to grab her hand to turn her around, but he was flung against the wall. When he looked up, Bianca was staring at him. Her eyes seemed dead and lifeless. "It's not my fault!" she said again, this time screaming.

Her eyes glowed and blood flowed out as if she was crying. Sawyer braced himself as he realized what was happening and strengthened his mental barriers to their maximum levels. The illusion faded, revealing Bianca was collapsed on the ground unconscious. Sawyer fell to his knees gasping for breath. Surveying the room, he saw Alex under a pile of drywall along with a growing puddle of blood.

Sawyer stood up and stumbled to where Alex was buried. He touched his arm and took a deep breath, scanning his body. Alex had three deep gashes across his chest which seemed to be the source of most of the bleeding. Sawyer lifted the chunks of wall off him and turned him onto his back. Using a technique he'd learned from Holo, he stitched the wounds shut with psychic energy. The stitches would fade in a quarter of an hour, probably less, but it would stop the bleeding until Sawyer could get him to a doctor.

Venturing toward the hole in the wall, Sawyer peeked outside. There was a human in civilian clothing lying on the ground next to a Weavile. Both of them were unconscious. What struck Sawyer though, was that he couldn't read any thoughts from the human at all. He was alive and breathing, but that was it. Yuki phased through a nearby wall asking, 'Sawyer? What happened!?'

"I don't know," he answered. "But we have to get Alex to a doctor. We can worry about specifics later." Sawyer touched Alex's arm again. Looking at Yuki again he yelled, "Do not, I repeat, do NOT lower your mental barriers until I get back." After that he closed his eyes, scanning the town. Once he had identified the nearest clinic, he initiated a teleport. When he opened his eyes again he was at the clinic he'd sensed. A receptionist looked up and jumped when she saw Alex hovering over Sawyer's head.

"When did you come in here!?" she asked frantically.

'This boy is badly hurt and needs immediate medical assistance!' Sawyer projected. He laid Alex onto the ground and bent over holding his stomach. Teleportation didn't agree with him, the reason he rarely used the skill on himself. Numbing the feeling, Sawyer looked up as the clinic's doctor rushed into the room. Bending down to examine Alex, he asked, "What the hell happened to this poor kid?"

"I suspect he was slashed across the chest by a Weavile," Sawyer said. "I've temporarily stopped the bleeding, but that won't hold for much longer. Please take care of him until I get back." The doctor might have said something right before Sawyer initiated another teleport, but Sawyer didn't have time to dwell on it. Opening his eyes to find an undressing Holo staring blankly at him, Sawyer bent over again and groaned. His stomach felt like it was being twisted in a knot.

"Knowing how much you hate to teleport, you must have really wanted to watch me strip," Holo teased while she waited for Sawyer to recover.

Regaining his composure, he said, "Bianca and Alex were attacked. One of the intruders is incapacitated, but I'm worried they might have friends nearby. I'm going to try to find them, but I'll need you to take care of Bianca and Yuki at the hotel until I do."

Holo gave him an irritated look. "I'll help, but after all of this is settled you're going to owe me one."

"Fine, fine," Sawyer said as he began to focus his senses on the hotel. He wasn't worried about being discreet, so he bombarded the area with psychic energy to form a sort of sonar effect. Reading the psychic pings for anything or anyone that seemed out of place, Sawyer grew frustrated when he didn't find what he was looking for. Increasing the radius of the search area by several miles, Sawyer sent another wave of psychic energy and got a response. Three humans, running away from the hotel like their lives depended on it. Sawyer grinned and said, "Bingo. I'm going to cut them off Holo."

Holo shook her head as she finished putting her clothes back on. "Contact me if it's more than you can handle although I doubt that's possible at the moment."

"Thanks," Sawyer replied before initiating another teleport. When he opened his eyes this time, he saw three men running toward him. Suddenly noticing him, they stopped and stared, not sure what to do next. Whispering amongst themselves Sawyer became irritated and yelled, "Hurry up damn it! I don't have all day!"

"Then get out of our way!" One of the men yelled back as he threw a pokeball. A Steelix appeared in a bright flash of light and gave out a deafening roar. "Steelix, use iron tail!" the man commanded. The giant, iron snake swung its tail around ripping up the ground as it went. Sawyer took a deep breath and ducked while giving the Steelix's tail a slight psychic tug so that it sailed harmlessly over his head. The man yelled, "Again Steelix!" It obeyed and swung its tail back in the opposite direction.

Sawyer's eyes glowed red as he stopped the Steelix mid-attack and threw it over his head with psychic. The Steelix crashed into the ground, turning most of the road into rubble in the process. In obvious pain, it moaned and twisted its body. "Is that all?" Sawyer said coldly. The man who had sent out the Steelix began to tremble. His knees shook as he tried to step away from Sawyer. The other two were shaking as well, unsure of what to do next.

Sawyer slowly began to walk towards them, scanning their thoughts as they did so. Thoughts of a failed plan to capture Bianca flashed through their minds. Sawyer increased his mental presence as he moved closer and the one who had commanded the Steelix buckled under the pressure and fell over unconscious. He was followed shortly by one of his comrades who also fell to the ground. The third man was still standing, but it took all of his willpower to do so. "H-how is this possible?" The man seemed to have psychic abilities and Sawyer had to give him credit for not succumbing to his presence.

"Why did you attack the hotel?" Sawyer asked while lifting his presence enough for the man to speak.

"The four of us were hired to kidnap the girl, but we didn't know she was a damn monster!" The would be kidnapper was becoming distressed. The situation was catching up to him and he probably wouldn't last much longer.

"Who hired you then?" Sawyer asked. He was getting worried the man might not know anything substantial about what was really going on, but was unable to find out as the third man finally collapsed.

"Hold it right there!" Sawyer turned to see Chief Jenny running toward him. She must have been off duty since she was out of uniform and in a set of pink pajamas covered with Buneary prints. "You! Errr.. Slowking! Cease whatever it is you're doing!"

"Cease what?" Sawyer replied. "I'm already done."

"Holy crap!" she exclaimed as she surveyed the battle field. "What the hell happened to this poor Steelix!?"

"It tripped. Now if you don't mind could you arrest these three men?"

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" she yelled, "You can't just go around rendering people and Pokemon unconscious!"

"It was imperative I stop them before they escape," Sawyer shot back. The third teleport catching up to him, pain shot through his stomach almost bringing him to his knees. When the pain and nausea had passed he looked up again to see Chief Jenny staring at him. "Something on my face?" Sawyer asked in a joking manner.

"Err, you just seemed like you were really in pain," Jenny answered quietly.

His composure returning, he said, "Don't just stand there. Make arrests, read rights! If you need handcuffs I can provide them."

Snapping out of it, Jenny nodded hesitantly and went to work.

* * *

><p>Sawyer spent the rest of the night at the police station. In the right or not, Chief Jenny didn't like vigilantes and had insisted Sawyer spend the night in jail and wait for his "trainer" to pick him up. Sawyer's snide remarks regarding the pheromones the Chief seemed to be releasing probably didn't help his case.<p>

The cell was bare and a bit chilly, but he'd had worse nights so he didn't bother complaining. The cell next to his held the three crooks from the night before. Officer Issac had informed him that the fourth member with the Weavile was in the hospital in a coma. The four were brothers and ran a less than respectable business which specialized in shady work for shadier people. Despite picking through each of their minds with a fine tooth comb throughout the night, Sawyer couldn't find any useful information about who might have hired them.

"Sawyer! I'm here to pay your bail!" Holo shouted from the other room. Issac unlocked the cell door and it opened with a loud clang. Sawyer stretched and quickly joined Holo in the station lobby.

An officer with a thick grey beard, O'Mally, who had been more than happy to talk with Sawyer the night before was giving Holo the necessary paperwork to have Sawyer released. "Be sure and teach him some delicacy ma'am," O'Mally was saying, "As much as I love seeing the chief blush, she hates being embarrassed and takes it out on us." Sawyer chuckled when he heard Chief Jenny groan from her office, but that was quickly replaced with a bit of fear when he saw the way Holo was smirking at him.

"I can understand Yuki, but why are you flirting with a police officer?" she growled.

'You're a human right now remember? If you get jealous now they'll be suspicious,' Sawyer joked. When she didn't respond Sawyer knew she was genuinely upset. While waiting for Holo to finish filling out the paperwork he tried to come up with some sort of solution to the problem at hand. Going back to jail was always an option and was most definitely easier than dealing with an angry Ninetales.

"So we'll be seeing you two in two and half weeks when the circuit judge comes back in town."

Sawyer snapped out of the daze he had been. "Wait, what did you say?"

"You'll have to come to court in two and half weeks to see if your trainer is liable for the damages you caused," O'Mally repeated. Holo was looking at Sawyer, obviously annoyed.

"I see... Well if that's all we'll be going." Sawyer turned and walked out of the police station with Holo following closely behind him.

"Well you've certainly pulled me into another of your big messes," Holo complained as they walked through the streets.

"I've always wanted to try my hand at law," Sawyer mused, "I think I'll represent myself."

"I used the same name in there that I typically use for business. I hope you're ready to wipe every memory this town has of us if you fail," Holo huffed.

"We'll deal with that when it comes," Sawyer responded. "But for now I'd like to check on Bianca and Yuki."

Holo became serious. "Yuki's with Alex at the clinic, but I can't for the life of me find Bianca. She wasn't at the hotel when I arrived to pick them up."

"According to Yuki, she does that every once in a while. Since she's capable of evading even our detection, I can only presume that she's a very powerful psychic," Sawyer replied.

"Great! Now we both have to take turns fighting her to reassert our dominance," Holo joked, finally getting over the fact she might have to change business names again. Taking refuge behind the alley trashcans from the eyes of any early birds who happened to be about, Holo stripped the clothes she'd been wearing and handed them to Sawyer. Blue flames engulfed her as she returned to her true form. 'You head back to the clinic for Froslass maintenance and in the meantime I'll sniff Bianca out the old fashioned way.'

"Sounds like a plan," Sawyer replied.

'Don't get any ideas about skipping town and leaving me to clean up your mess,' Holo warned, her thoughts resonating in Sawyer's head, 'Hell hath no wrath like a Ninetales' curse.'

"The correct phrase is 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' but I get your point." And with that the Ninetales was gone. As Sawyer weaved his way through the streets, he tried to work together the various pieces of the puzzle that was Bianca. The Hoenn region had been relatively peaceful ever since the disbanding of Team Aqua and Team Magma. Any attempts by other existing criminal organizations to gain a foothold had been crushed by the International Police who had a strong influence over the area's politics. But Hoenn was a vast region with much unexplored wilderness so the possibility of a new group with a new cause forming was not only likely, but inevitable. Research on weaponizing psychic abilities was also not uncommon and Sawyer had even done some consulting work in the area.

Deciding to take a detour, Sawyer found his way to the town's only cybercafe and let himself in. Finding a seat at a terminal near the back of the shop, Sawyer checked all of the main news websites for any information regarding the lab explosion Chief Jenny had described. Not finding anything substantial, Sawyer then logged into his account on an information network meant solely for psychics. The network had been the brain child of Sabrina, the gym leader of Saffron City, in an attempt to give psychics a way of exchanging information on a mass scale. Only those capable of decoding psychic waves would be able to understand what any normal person would view as garbled text. Psychics were few in number and even fewer actually knew about the network so it was unlikely any information had yet been posted.

After putting out a request for details on the explosion and sorting through his very full e-mail inbox, Sawyer resumed his walk back to the clinic. He felt strangely refreshed and took his time, enjoying the simple pleasure of bouncing possible scenarios of the events to come around his mind.

'Bianca's an escaped psychic with the power to destroy the entire world!?' Yuki's bell like voice violently disrupted Sawyer's train of thought.

"You have a very annoying tendency to eavesdrop on other people's thoughts!" Sawyer half yelled at Yuki. "Of course she's not capable of destroying the entire world, I was just playing with the idea in my head!"

'Don't get mad at me!' Yuki protested, 'You were so deep in thought you didn't notice me so I just took a little peak at what was on the surface.' The ghost wrapped her kimono like arms around Sawyer, allowing herself to be pulled along behind him as he continued to walk.

"Fine, sorry I snapped," Sawyer said. "How is Alex? Has he woken up yet?"

'He's awake and very enthusiastic about leaving the clinic, but the doctor's refusing to let him leave so Alex sent me to find you,' Yuki chimed. She seemed to be in good spirits. Sawyer hoped this was a sign her mental state was improving.

Sawyer nodded to himself having determined his next course of action. "I may be leaving Alex in your hands for a while."

'Wait, what? Why? I'm mentally unstable, remember? You need to keep me under constant supervision so I don't freak out and start freezing people!' Yuki didn't seem like she meant what she just said, but Sawyer couldn't be sure.

"Even if you're tipping toward homicidal," Sawyer said, "I can afford to leave you alone for a little bit while I check up on something. You can busy yourself by looking after Alex."

"Fine, but at least tell me where you're going!" Yuki whined.

"I'm going to Hoenn."

* * *

><p>Rule 3 (amended): Being slow to act is a vice, not a virtue.<p> 


End file.
